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“You can’t give that map to the Rathalans!” Jeddak shouted, unleashing the anger in his voice. “If the Rathalans get hold of that stone, they’ll use its power to cover Eastlandra in darkness, wiping out every tribe until no one is left—includingthe Kovaks.”

“Let the other tribal kingdoms defend themselves,” the king said dismissively. “Tell me, who of them came to our ancestors’ aid when the Terrans attacked our twin cities? When we were forced from our homeland? Not one. I am king of the Kovaks,notthe other tribes. My duty is to protectourpeople andourland.”

“Father, this isn’t like you!” Jeddak argued. “Never did I think I’d see the day when the mighty King Atvek stood side-by-side with a blazen Rathalan, letting his will be bent out of greed and hatred.”

“You know nothing, boy!” King Atvek shouted so loudly I shuddered. Next to him, his bear’s back hair raised, and the threatening growl that followed reverberated off the high arched ceiling.

“I think we’re done here,” Bloodbain said flatly, waving his hand toward the Rathalan guards behind him.

Before I knew what was happening, Bloodbain’s guards surrounded me, clamping down on my arms. “Get off me!” I cried, struggling against their iron grips.

“Don’t you dare touch her!” Skyler shouted. With his hands still bound, he lunged toward the guards, managing to knock two of them down before the others shoved him to his knees and pressed a knife against his throat.

“No!” I cried, glancing at Jeddak for help.

But Lila caught his arm to hold him back.

I was on my own now.

Bloodbain strolled toward me and raised my bound hands to look at the map.

“Too bad you left Malengard in such a hurry. I could have saved you the trip here,” he said.

I glared at him.

“You should be thanking me, really. When I find this stone, I will overthrow Lord Thrailkull and end that bloodline of barbarians forever.”

“So you can destroy all the tribes instead of him?”

“No, I think not. It’s Thrailkull who wants to wipe out the tribal kingdoms. But if all of you are gone, who will be our slaves? Who will plow our lands? Who will clean our cities? What a bleak world that would be, don’t you think?” he said with a vile chuckle. “No, I don’t want to destroy the magic and your pitiful tribal kingdoms, I want tocontrolit. All of it.”

An icy shiver crawled across my skin. “I’ll never lead you to the stone,” I spat.

A dark smile formed on his thin lips. “Fortunately, I don’t need you to. I already have someone else who can.” With a snap of his fingers, two Rathalan guards appeared, dragging a person who seemed to be half conscious.

“Sora!” Skyler and I cried out in unison. She was alive, though her bruised face and shallow breathing indicated just barely.

“After I get the map, kill them both,” Bloodbain said to the guard, nodding toward me and Skyler. He tightened his grip on my wrist and pulled a knife from his belt.

Before I knew what was happening, I felt the cold metal of the blade slice into my skin.

44

Jeddak

“No!” I shouted as Bloodbain’s knife cut into Raven’s hand, trying to carve the map from her flesh.

She screamed, wrenching free of the commander’s grip. But it was too late. A blue spark flashed from her hand, and the suli map—now in the form of a small glass orb—fell to the floor and rolled away. Bloodbain cursed.

Seeing an opportunity, Skyler hurled the Rathalan detaining him over his shoulder. The guard landed flat on his back with anumph!and dropped his knife. Skyler grabbed the weapon and threw it at Bloodbain. But Skyler’s aim was off because of his shackled wrists, and it grazed off the commander’s armor.

Raven was now running after the map.

“Lila, you have to go, you have to hide,” I pleaded before taking off toward Raven.

“Jeddak, wait!” Lila cried after me.

But I couldn’t wait. With a swing of my staff, I flattened the two Rathalans coming at me. Then I rammed my shoulder into another guard while Kah sideswiped three more, knocking them down like a game of ninepins. But in seconds, a dozen moreguards—both Rathalans and Kovaks—surrounded us, forcing me and Kah back against the wall.